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Jonty Rhodes, widely regarded as one of the greatest fielders in the history of cricket, redefined the art of fielding with his athleticism, agility, and quick reflexes. His groundbreaking performances in the field, particularly during the 1992 Cricket World Cup, showcased his ability to turn games around with his sharp catching, pinpoint throws, and acrobatic run-outs. Rhodes’ fielding revolutionized modern cricket, elevating the importance of this aspect of the game and inspiring future generations to focus on fitness and agility. His legacy as a pioneer of elite fielding remains unmatched even today.
Jonty Rhodes responds after missing out on India’s fielding coach role
Despite his fielding expertise, Rhodes was recently overlooked for India’s fielding coach role by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). There were rumors that Rhodes would replace T Dilip, especially after Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach. However, the BCCI decided to retain Dilip following India’s strong performances in the field during the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup. Dilip was the only member of the coaching staff to be retained after Rahul Dravid’s contract ended.
In a lighthearted comment, Rhodes expressed his surprise during a recent interview on Aleena Dissects YouTube channel (via India Today).
“Yeah! Can you believe it? I mean, they didn’t want an international coach, and I’m so local. I mean, mera naam Jonty Rhodes! (I’m Jonty Rhodes). Come on. I’m based in Goa. Maybe because I’m based in Goa. Maybe I need to be in a metro (city),” he quipped.
New coaching staff under Gautam Gambhir
Alongside Gambhir and Dilip, the newly formed Indian coaching staff features associate coaches Ryan Ten Doeschate and Abhishek Nayar, as well as bowling coach Morne Morkel. Morkel is set to begin his role in the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh.
Also READ: South African legend Jonty Rhodes picks the ‘complete all-round’ fielder in the world
Rhodes credits MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for India’s fitness revolution
Despite not being part of the Indian coaching setup, Rhodes acknowledged the immense contributions of former India captains MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli in transforming India’s approach to fitness and fielding. He praised the two captains for setting new fitness standards.
“I’ve taken my hats off to the last two Indian fielding coaches. And it comes from captaincy. Under Dhoni, he had a lot of senior guys, and he just showed his physical ability, he still does at the end of his IPL career. Running between the wickets… amazing, and he’s 40. It’s incredible. He certainly showed, just through his example, the importance of fitness and strength,” Rhodes stated.
He further credited Kohli for raising the bar: “Then Virat Kohli took over, and it was a part of the selection criteria. If you don’t pass the fitness standards, it doesn’t matter how good you are. Everybody was treated equally, and it took India to becoming a good fielding team.”
